Door hinge mechanism



Jan. 26, 1965 H. A. MACKIE ETAL 3,55733 DOOR HINGE MECHANISM Filed April 5, 1962 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORJ' TOR NEY Jan. C26, 1965 H. A. MACKIE ETAI.

Dooa HINGE MECHANISM 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 5, 1962 Jan. 26, 1965 H. A. MACKIE ETAI. 3,166,783

noos HINGE MEcHANIsM Filed April 5, 1962 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTORS TTORNEY 3,166,783 DUUR HINGE MEQHANISM Harry A. Mackie, Birmingham, and Wiiiiam I. Streetman, AMadison Heights, Mich., assignors to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Filed Apr. 5, 1962, Ser. No. 185,436 6 Claims. (Qi. 16--163) This invention relates to a door hinge mechanism particularly applicable for use in automotive vehicle doors and the like to facilitate door opening in a space restricted by a curb or other obstruction and to provide easier entrance to either the front or rear seat of such a vehicle.

The invention contemplates an improved vehicle door hinge mechanism wherein the door is initially carried upwardly and outwardly of the vehicle door opening by two vertically spaced pendulum hinge members and a suitable counterbalancing spring means to an intermediate opened position permitting subsequent substantially outward horizontal swinging of the door to a full opened position.

The foregoing and other objects, advantages and features of the invention will be apparent from the following description of a preferred illustrative embodiment, having reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE l is a side elevational View of a portion of an automotive vehicle shovsu'ng the operational environment of the counterbalancing hinge mechanism of the invention;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view corresponding to a portion of FIGURE l with portions thereof broken away and in section to show the operative connection between the door counterbalancing spring and the lower door hinge mechanism;

FIGURE 3 is a sectional View taken substantially in the direction of the arrows in the planeV of the line indicated at 3 3 in FIGURE 1 and shows the several elements of the door hinge and counterbalancing mechanisms in their door-closed positions;

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view similar to FIGURE 3 and shows the relative positions assumed by several hinge and counterbalancing elements during initial swinging movement of the door to its intermediate opened position;

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view taken substantially in the direction of the arrows and in the plane of the line indicated at 5--5 in FIGURE 3; and

AFIGURE 6 is a sectional view somewhat similar to FIGURE 5 taken substantially in the direction of the arrows in the plane of the line indicated at 6 6 in FIG- URE 4 and shows the door in its intermediate and fully opened positions.

Referring more particularlyto the FIGURE 1, an automotive vehicle body is indicated generally by the reference numeral 10 and has a door opening 12 partially defined by a vertical door supporting pillar 13. This doorway or opening is sealingly closed by a door 14 of conventional construction having a retractable window. When used on a conventional two-door sedan, the door I4 may be substantially longer than those currently in use in order to provide easier access to the rear seat compartment. In accordance with the invention, two vertically spaced pendulum hinges 16 and 1S mount the car door 14 for opening movement relative to the car body with initial upward swinging movement being assisted by a U-shaped l torsional spring 2t) mounted in the car door and opera-bly connected to the lower pendulum hinge IS.

ing the geometric relationships necessarily' required for desired door opening operation. These hinge-assemblies respectively comprise a pendulum or crank member 22 and 24. The pendulum member for each hinge assembly United States Patent O 3&66383 Fatented Jan. 25, i965 ice is pivotally journaled at its upper end in oneof two spaced 'parallel bushings 26, 28 xed to the pillar I3. The lower end of each crank member forms a. female or clevis portion 30, 32 of a butt hinge. Each female portion is connected by theusual hinge pin 34, 36 to a male hinge member 38, 40. These male members have integral journals 42 and 44 extending at right angles to their respective hinge pins. These journals are respectively mounted in parallel bushings 46, 48 carried by and secured to the frame of the door by mounting brackets 5l# and 52.

As indicated above, the torsion bar 20 counterbalances the weight of the door during its initial opening motion on the crank arms 22, 24. As` shown in FIGURE l, the torsion bar is preferably of U or reverse-bend configuration and mounted in the lower portion of the door adjacent the hinge assembly 18. Referring now to FIG- URES 2, 3, 4 and 5, an upwardly bent end 54 of the upper leg of the torsion bar is adjustably preloaded and clamped at S6 to a bracket 58 attached to the door interior. The torsional preloading of the rod 20 may thus be changed, if necessary. The bottom leg of the rod is jonrnaled adjacent its opposite end 60 by a bushing flange 62 integrally formed and extending laterally of the torsion bar mounting bracket S8. The torque rod end 60 is bent upwardly as shown to form a crank arm which is pivotally secured at 64 to one end of a oating link 66. The opposite end of the link 66 is pivotally connected at 68 to one end of a lever arm '76. The other end of the arm 70 is secured at 72 to the journal 44 of the lower male hinge member 4i). As best seen in FIGURES 3 and 4, the

ytorsional moment arm of the linkage provided Vby the link 66 and the lever 70 increases as the rod 20 unwinds and thus tends to equalize the lifting force applied to the door during its initial opening movement.

The door 14 opens in two distinct motions from its closed position shown in full lines in FIGURE 5 to a first -bar 20. During this initial door opening movement, the

top and bottom edges of the door remain substantially parallel with their original closed positions. As the door reaches its stop-limited intermediate position, the hinge pins 34 and 36 of theupper and lower butt hinges are carried into coaxial alignment. As best seen in FIGURE 4, such axial pin alignment permits further door opening vmovement by swinging or rotation about the aligned pins of the butt hinges to a -full-opened position. This fullopened position may be limited by a suitable door check and hold-open device, not shown. By releasing or in the absence of such a device, the door may be swung open further toward the side of the vehicle.

It will be seen that the door-mounted bushings 42 and 44 and the door p-illar mounted bushings 26 and 28 remain parallel until the door has been swung on its butt hinges from its intermediate opened position. This latter door opening motion places the door and pillar bushings in non-parallel relation and thus locks the cranks 4, S

i against downward rotation while the door remains in any opened position effected about the butt hinges.

' The counterbalanced hinge arrangement of the invenareas/ss tion provides an initial door opening movement laterally of the vehicle and thus virtually eliminates any possible interference between the door and body such as occasionally occurs with ordinary vehicle door hinging. Such initial arcuate upward Vdoor opening motion'also tends to prevent interferenceV between the lower edge of the door and adjacent curbs or similar obstacles. For this reason, the upper hinge crankis preferably longer than the lower crank, as shown, so that .the upper part of the door is tilted outwardly in opening for improved entrance conditions.

While the foregoing description has been limited to one illustrative embodiment it will be apparent that various changes, modi'ications and departures might 'ce made therefrom without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in .the following claims.

We claim:

il. In a vehicle body including a door swingable to close a substantially Vertical opening therein, a concealed hinge mechanism comprising a tirst pair of hinge members pivotally mounted on the vehicle body at one side of the door opening -for swinging movement about vertically spaced and substantially horizontal parallel axes,

a second pair of hinge members journaled in said door yfor rotation about substantially horizontal parallel axes vertically spaced below the pivotal axes of said iirs't hinge members,

said iirst pair of hinge members in their door closed positions normally extending downwardly of the door `opening between their respective pivotal mounting axes andthe adjacent door journaled hinge member,

stop means engageaible by at least one of said first pair of hinge members to limit the upward and outward swinging movement thereof,

means pivotally connecting the lower end of each of said iirst hinge members to the adjacent door journaled hinge member to permit initial upward swinging movement of the door from its closed position to an intermediate door opened position lwherein said one vhinge member engages said vstop means and subsequentV horizontal swinging of the door to a fully opened position,

and torsional spring means mounted within said door and connected to rotate at least one of said journaled hinge members relative to said door and acting through the pivotal connection of said one journaled member to apply a door swinging torque to the adjacent one of said -rst hinge member thereby ycounterlilalancing the door during initial movement between its closed and intermediate opened positions and dur-ing subsequent swinging movement to its fully v opened position.

2. In a vehicle body having a concealed hinge mechanism as set forth in claim l, said `torsional spring means comprising a spring rod mounted within said door and having a rst crank arm at one end thereof non-rotatably Secured to said door,

the opposite `end of said spring rod having a second crank arm adjacent to and swingable transversely of the rotational axis of one of said journaled hinge members,

means journaling said spring adjacent its second crank arm,

a third crank-arm carried by said adjacent journaled hinge member `for limited rotation therewith,

and a tie link pivotally connected at its opposite ends to said secondf'and third crank arms whereby the torsional' bias kof said spring rod tends to rotate said one door journaled hinge member and its pivotal connection with said one first hinge member and tends to eiect door counterbalancing swinging movement of said one hinge member.

3. In a vehicle body having a concealed hinge mechanism as set forth in claim l,

the means pivotally connecting the lower end of each of the first members to the adjacent door journaled hinge member comprising a pair of hinge pins,

the pivotal axes of said hinge pins both being inclined upwardly and outwardly of said door when in their door closed positions and cooperating with the pivotal mounting of said hinge members to limit initial door opening to upward swinging movement between its closed and intermediate door opened positions,

at least one of said hinge pins being drivingly connected to said spring means through said one journaled hinge member and rotatably driven during initial door opening movement to eiect door counterbalaucing swinging movement of the adjacent one of said first hinge members, and

the pivotal axes of said hinge member connecting pins being alignable in said intermediate door opened position and permitting subsequent horizontal swinging ofthe door to its fully opened position.

4. In a vehicle body having a concealed hinge mechanism as set forth in claim 3, said torsional spring means comprising a reverse-bend spring .rod mounted within said door and having a first upwardly extending crank arm at one end thereof adjustoly secured to said door,

the opposite end of said spring rod having a second upwardly extending crank arm adjacent to and swingable transversely ot" the rotational axis of one of said journaled hinge members,

means journaling said spring adjacent its second crank arms,

a third crank arm carried by said adjacent journaled hinge member and having limited transverse swinging movement imparted thereto by initial door opening rotation of said adjacent hinge member,

a tie link pivotally connected at opposite ends to said swinging crank arms,

and said tie link and swinging crank arms coacting to increase Vthe torsional moment arm of the spring rod as it unwinds thereby tending to equalize the counterbalancing force applied to said door through said one adjacent hinge member during initial door opening movement.

5. In a vehicle body having a door swingable to close an opening therein, a concealed hinge mechanism comprising a tirst pair of hinge members pivotally mounted on said body at one side ot the door opening for swinging movement about spaced parallel axes,

a second pair of hinge members journaled in the door for rotation about paraliel axes oiiset with respect to the pivotal axes of said iirst hinge members,

said iii-st pair of hinge members in their door closed positions normally extending between their respective pivotal mounting axes and the adjacent door journaled hinge member,

a pair of hinge pins pivotally connecting the lower end of each of said first hinge members to the adjacent door journaled hinge member.

the pivotal axes of said hinge pins 'both being inclined upwardly and outwardly of said door when in their door closed positions and cooperating with the pivotal moun-tings of said hinge mem-bers to limit initial door opening to swinging movement of said tirst hinge members translating said door upwardly and outwardly of said body opening between its closed and an intermediate door opened positions,

stop'means engageafble with at least one ot said hinge members to prevent initial door opening swinging movement beyond said intermediate door opened position,

the pivotal axes of said hinge pins being alignable in said intermediate door opened position and permitting su-bsequent swinging of the door Kto its full opened position about such aligned hinge pin axes,

a torsional spring rod mounted within the door and having a rst crank arm at one end thereof swingable transversely of the rotational axis of one of said journaled hinge members,

means journaling said spring rod adjacent said crank arm,

the opposite end `of said spring rod being nonrotatably secured with respect to the door,

a second crank arm carried Iby said one journaled hinge member and having limited transverse swinging movement imparted thereto by initial door opening rotation of said one journaled hinge member,

and a tie link pivotally connected at opposite ends to said swinging crank arms,

said spring rod being torsionally stressed to counterbah ance the door during opening movement and said tie link and swinging crank arms enacting to increase the torsional moment arm of the spring rod as it unwinds during initial door opening movement thereby tending to equalize he counterbalancing torque applied to the door through said one journaled hinge member during such initial door opening movement.

6. A concealed hinge mechanism for a structure having a door swingable to close a substantially vertical opening therein, said hinge mechanism comprising a iirst hinge member,

means for pivotally mounting said iirst hinge member one one side of the door opening for swing movement about a substantially horizontal axis,

a second hinge member,

means for journaling said second hinge member on the adjacent side ofthe door for rotation about a substantiaily horizontal axis vertically spaced below the -pivotal axis of said first hinge member,

said liirst hinge member in its door closed position normally extending downwardly from its pivotal mounting axis to a point adjacent the second hinge member,

stop means engageable to limit the upward and outward `door opening movement of said lirst hinge member,

means pivotally interconnecting said iirst and second hinge members and cooperating with said iirst hinge member mounting means to permit initial upward swinging movement of the door from its closed position to an intermediate door opened .position wherein said Ifirst hinge member engages -said stop means and permits subsequent horizontal swinging of the door to a fully opened position, and

torsional spring means mountable within said door and operably connected to said journaled hinge member `to counterbalance the door between its closed and intermediate opened positions and during subsequent swinging movement to its fully opened position, said torsional means including a torsion spring rod,

means nonaotatably supporting one end of said spring rod within the door,

means journaling the opposite end of said spring rod .adjacent said journaled hinge member,

said opposite spring end having a crank arm swingable in a plane transversely of the rotational axis of the Ijournaled hinge member,

said journaled hinge member carrying a second transversely swingable crank arm,

and a tie link pivotally connected at opposite ends to said crank arms so as to equalize the door lifting counterbalancing torque applied by the spring rod to said ii-rst hinge member through the door journaled hinge member as the spring yrod. unwinds during initial upward swinging movement of the door.

References Qited in the le of this patent UNlTED STATES PATENTS 

1. IN A VEHICLE BODY INCLUDING A DOOR SWINGABLE TO CLOSE A SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL OPENING THEREIN, A CONCEALED HINGE MECHANISM COMPRISING A FIRST PAIR OF HINGE MEMBERS PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ON THE VEHICLE BODY AT ONE SIDE OF THE DOOR OPENING FOR SWINGING MOVEMENT ABOUT VERTICALLY SPACED AND SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL PARALLEL AXES, A SECOND PAIR OF HINGE MEMBERS JOURNALED IN SAID DOOR FOR ROTATION ABOUT SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL PARALLEL AXES VERTICALLY SPACED BELOW THE PIVOTAL AXES OF SAID FIRST HINGE MEMBERS, SAID FIRST PAIR OF HINGE MEMBERS IN THEIR DOOR CLOSED POSITIONS NORMALLY EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY OF THE DOOR OPENING BETWEEN THEIR RESPECTIVE PIVOTAL MOUNTING AXES AND THE ADJACENT DOOR JOURNALED HINGE MEMBER, STOP MEANS ENGAGEABLE BY AT LEAST ONE OF SAID FIRST PAIR OF HINGE MEMBERS TO LIMIT THE UPWARD AND OUTWARD SWINGING MOVEMENT THEREOF, MEANS PIVOTALLY CONNECTING THE LOWER END OF EACH OF SAID FIRST HINGE MEMBERS TO THE ADJACENT DOOR JOURNALED HINGE MEMBER TO PERMIT INITIAL UPWARD SWINGING MOVEMENT OF THE DOOR FROM ITS CLOSED POSITION TO AN INTERMEDIATE DOOR OPENED POSITION WHEREIN SAID ONE HINGE MEMBER ENGAGES SAID STOP MEANS AND SUBSEQUENT HORIZONTAL SWINGING OF THE DOOR TO A FULLY OPENED POSITION, AND TORSIONAL SPRING MEANS MOUNTED WITHIN SAID DOOR AND CONNECTED TO ROTATE AT LEAST ONE OF SAID JOURNALED HINGE MEMBERS RELATIVE TO SAID DOOR AND ACTING THROUGH THE PIVOTAL CONNECTION OF SAID ONE JOURNALED MEMBER TO APPLY A DOOR SWINGING TORQUE TO THE ADJACENT ONE OF SAID FIRST HINGE MEMBER THEREBY COUNTERBALANCING THE DOOR DURING INITIAL MOVEMENT BETWEEN ITS CLOSED AND INTERMEDIATE OPENED POSITIONS AND DURING SUBSEQUENT SWINGING MOVEMENT TO ITS FULLY OPENED POSITION. 